iPhone users - case advice please

Moving from Blackberry to iPhone and need advice on the best way to protect it. Already ordered screen protector so just case required now. Used to the Blackberry 'pocket' and I do like this as a solution but my blackberry's have all taken a tumble from time to time during removal / insertion so not entirely without fault. Considering a folio type style but would like opinions. Mainly concerned about ease of use once installed in the case.

Not into a big 'tough' protector, something with a bit of style is desirable. Leather ideally. Seen some nice Belkin options and already impressed by my Belkin iPad case.

I use a tan leather slip case, no screen protector. (the glass is tougher and more scratch resistant than the plastic protector) looks nice, ages well and provides an element of drop and pocket abrasion protection, although admittedly not when I'm actually using the phone.

I went for a butt ugly Trident Cyclops II case. Phone sits in a silicone skin, held inside a hard outer case. Silicone also covers the port and headphone socket for completeness. £27 on Amazon. Would recommend despite the chunky appearance.

First case I got was a beautifully minimal bamboo sleeve. Was so slick I kept dropping the phone - and it broke quickly. Erm...

I've used clear screen protectors on all my iPhones, and they do a damned good job, providing you apply them carefully, with no bubbles or fluff. Only the edges are noticeable on mine, there's no evidence of anything on the phone at all, plus I have a clear case like the one Kryton has, cost about $4, and it's already saved my phone after I pulled it out of my pocket with the power cord while charging with a back-up battery, and the cable pulled out! It cartwheeled several times down a steep Tarmac road, and only showed a tiny mark on the polished front beveled edge, so very well worth having.
I do have a totally enclosed case coming, which will seal the phone in, making it waterproof and shockproof. It's a Kickstarter project from TacTic, who made the first alloy watch straps for the last Nano. Not cheap, but comes with Gorilla Glass screen protection. There's a good Otterbox available, too.
Overkill, perhaps, but I spend time near the coast, and salt water doesn't enhance the performance of an iPhone 5 particularly well.

Some cases interfere with the proximity sensor which causes issues when you make calls and the phone doesn't realise its close your head and doesn't disable the keypad. My cheap tesco leather case does that but the phone itself is shaped such that I always feel like I'm going to drop it. The case makes it easier to hold.

Lifeproof - waterproof, close fitting, decent shock resistance, phone stays totally functional, only rubbish bit is the headphone jacket arrangement. Expensive, but as above, you can drop your phone in the bath without worrying about it.

Not if you've protected it, then you can realise maximum second-hand value because the phone's pristine. In any case
(:wink:), as I said above, it's almost impossible to see the screen protector film on my phone, unless you look for the edges, because its a clear one, not one of those shonky 'non-reflective' things, which really are crap!
That case that 1978 linked to is what I'm getting for my iP5, and I actually like the look of it, I really couldn't give a toss what others think. As I spend time outdoors, especially near the coast, around water and such, using the phone for guidance brings extra risk of dropping it or getting it wet, and I don't want to have trust insurance to replace a £650 phone that's been dropped or to wet.

Just taken some pics of my phone with the cheap case and screen protector, and the damage to the case where it bounced down the road from waist height:

You can just see a little mark just above the right-hand speaker grill, the only damage to the phone itself. The case took quite an impact, and definitely saved the phone itself from a lot of damage, so that was $3 very well spent, and the three screen protectors were $1.99.
Wouldn't save it if dropped into a rock pool, mind...